


Turn the Page

by punk_rock_yuppie



Series: Fic-Tac-Toe [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Birthday Celebrations, Future Fic, Gen, Gift Giving, HP: EWE, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 19:10:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14983673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_rock_yuppie/pseuds/punk_rock_yuppie
Summary: Harry didn't expect Malfoy to be at Andromeda's, but he's making the best of it.





	Turn the Page

**Author's Note:**

> square 3 of fic-tac-toe!. thanks to hannah for beta'ing, ofc. this one ft andromeda, and teddy being adorable. 
> 
> enjoy!

  


Harry blinks in surprise. “I’m sorry, what?”

Andromeda sighs. “ _I’m_ sorry, Harry. Teddy and I are taking a trip to the states and we’ll be gone for your birthday.” She turns and looks out the kitchen window of her cottage, outside to where Teddy is running through the grass with a toddling crup. “It’s not something we can rearrange.”

“That’s alright, Andie, don’t worry about it,” Harry hurries to assure. “Didn’t you just take a trip, though?”

Andromeda smiles at him. “We did, yes, and it only made Teddy crave _more_.” She shakes her head fondly. “Times like this he reminds me so much of Nymphadora.”

Harry’s throat constricts, and he nods.

“We’d love to have you over this week for an early birthday celebration, though.” Andromeda reaches out and takes Harry’s hand in her own. “We’ll be leaving early Monday next week, returning part of the way through August.”

Harry squeezes her hand. “I’ll be here.”

 

 

Harry, despite the fact this is technically meant to celebrate his own birthday, shows up with two gifts in hand. A nice bottle of wine for Andie—selected by Hermione, of course—and the latest model of kid’s broom that Teddy’s been hinting at. He has each gift tucked under an arm and trudges up the walkway to the cottage, still mulling the situation over in his head.

Something had seemed odd about how Andromeda acted, but not anything that Harry could put a finger on. She and Teddy had in fact just recently gotten back from a trip that lasted them from the end of May to the start of July, traveling down to Australia and slowly working their way back up through South Africa. Now they were taking off again? Not that Harry minded celebrating his birthday a few weeks early. It was just…

Odd.

Harry enters without knocking, as every time he knocks Andromeda gives him a good-natured talking-to. It takes some creative maneuvering given the gifts in his hands, and a murmured spell or two to get inside, but he gently kicks the door shut behind him. The sitting room by the door is empty, but if he strains his ears he can hear faint chatter coming from the dining room. Smiling to himself, Harry takes off in that direction.

He skids into the dining room ready to announce his presence when he stops short at the sight of a shock of platinum blond hair.

“Malfoy?”

The man in question turns around, at the same moment bringing a cup to his lips and sipping. “Potter,” he returns with a nod. “Anyway, as I was saying…” Malfoy turns back around to continue talking to Teddy, who looks absolutely enthralled with whatever Malfoy’s going on about. Harry stares for a moment before a cough catches his attention, and Andromeda stands in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen.

Harry hurries over to her. He passes the bottle of wine to her and kisses her cheek. “What’s he doing here?” He asks immediately after the pleasantries are done with.

Andromeda smirks. “Teddy and I were out of town for his birthday as well, you know.”

In the back of Harry’s head, he distantly recalls Malfoy’s birthday being in June. Not exactly something he’s kept tabs on over the years.

“We’ve been meaning to celebrate with him,” Andie continues, “he just has _such_ a busy schedule, it’s been impossible to arrange.”

“I didn’t know. We could’ve rescheduled.”

Andromeda laughs. “That’s silly, there’s no need.” Her eyes glint with a challenge. “Is there?”

Harry gulps. “No, of course not. This is fine.”

“Wonderful!” Andromeda claps her hands together. “Go sit, give Teddy that gift. Lunch will be ready in a bit, and then you and Draco will get _your_ presents!” She turns away and bustles back into the kitchen, leaving Harry dumbfounded on the threshold.

Eventually, Harry returns to the table and takes the seat across from Malfoy and Teddy. There’s a lull in the conversation and they’re both sipping at their tea—Teddy more noisily than Malfoy—so Harry figures now is as good a time as any to jump in.

“Hey, mate!” Harry greets.

Teddy sets down his cup in a haste and beams at Harry. “Heya Harry!” His eyes zero in on the gift still tucked under Harry’s arm, and immediately makes grabby-hands for it.

Malfoy laughs softly, and Harry finds himself unwittingly staring at the him. “Well, give it to him, Potter. It’s cruel to keep him waiting.” Malfoy grins around the lip of his mug but gestures for Harry to pass along the haphazardly wrapped gift.

Harry does, and Teddy takes it eagerly. He starts to tear at the wrapping paper without so much as a second thought. It takes a few minutes (Harry might’ve gone a bit overboard with the wrapping paper, but it’s certainly an amusing sight to see) and in those minutes, Harry stares at Malfoy.

And Malfoy stares back. He continues sipping his tea, continues grinning, and things are _odd_. But nice.

Finally, Teddy tears away the wrapping paper and Harry vanishes it with a wordless spell. Teddy doesn’t even notice, as he screeches in delight as his hands run over the design on the packaging.

“Really?!” He exclaims with a bright-eyed look at Harry.

“Really,” Harry confirms. “S’about time you got a new one anyway, isn’t it?” He sits back, pleased. “We can take it for a go later, as long as the weather holds.”

Teddy makes another delighted noise. “Can we do it right now?”

“Andromeda said lunch would be ready soon,” Malfoy interjects. “We’ll do it after, alright?”

Teddy pouts for a moment but in true childlike fashion, the disappointment barely lasts. He continues to stare at the broom and its packaging like it holds all the answers to the universe. He’s clearly in his own little world, and it’s endearing to watch.

“So,” Malfoy drawls. “She didn’t tell you I’d be here?”

Harry shakes his head. “Did she tell you?”

“Only after I’d shown up. _“Oh, by the way dear, Harry’s going to be having lunch with us as well_. _”_ ” Malfoy shrugs. “Can’t say I’m terribly surprised.” He goes for another sip of his drink and frowns. “Pardon me,” he says as he stands. “I need a refill. Did you want something?”

Harry knows he looks like a git, probably, gaping at Malfoy’s polite offer. He waits too long to answer, and Malfoy rolls his eyes before heading toward the kitchen. Harry doesn’t think to call after him—he _is_ rather thirsty, water would be nice—so he stays seated.

“Harry?”

He looks over to Teddy, who’s watching him intently. His normally sandy brown hair has shifted to a curious navy blue that seems to shimmer. “Yeah?” Harry asks.

“Are you and Draco friends?”

Harry startles. “Er, not really, mate. Just old classmates.”

Teddy nods, looking bizarrely sage for his eight years. He doesn’t say anything else and it leaves Harry feeling distinctly unsettled.

Malfoy returns not long after with a fresh, steaming mug of tea and a glass of water dripping with condensation. He comes around the table to set it in front of Harry and lingers for a moment. “Andromeda said lunch will be ready any minute.”

Harry looks up in slow surprise and hopes his expression is slightly less ridiculous than before. He’s got no reason to be surprised by Malfoy’s politeness; for all that he’s a berk, he’s still a grown man—they both are—and it’s simply good manners to bring a drink. Malfoy stares back down at him, his lips half-quirked, and finally draws his fingers away from the glass of water.

“Then we can fly!” Teddy shouts. His voice breaks the spell, and Malfoy returns to his seat.

“Then we do presents,” Andie retorts as she enters the room carrying a tray of finger sandwiches. “ _Then_ we can fly.”

Teddy’s pout is once again short-lived, instead replaced by a look of sheer hunger that only a kid can manage. Andromeda sets the plate in the middle of the table and takes the seat beside Harry. She pulls her wand from the pocket of her apron and another glass of water and another mug of tea float into the room, depositing themselves in front of Teddy and Andie, respectively.

“Well, eat up!”

 

Gifts take hardly any time, but it’s no less pleasant.

Teddy proudly presents a gift that’s wrapped without any skill, much as Harry’s gift to him was. Harry takes it with a genuine smile and waits for the other presents to be handed out. Andromeda passes a second one to Harry, and then two to Malfoy as well.

“I didn’t wrap yours,” Teddy admits to Malfoy mournfully. “I forgot.”

Malfoy’s grin is startling, bright and soft and disarming. He reaches out to ruffle Teddy’s hair and the unruly strands light up platinum blond under his touch. “That’s quite alright.”

Teddy beams, then, “Hurry up!”

Andromeda chides him as Harry and Malfoy share a look. Harry reaches for his present from Teddy first, and Malfoy picks up the one that’s unwrapped. At Harry’s curious look, Malfoy tilts the present, so he can see the scrawl that says, _“TO DRACO!”_ in messy handwriting across a haphazardly attached tag.

Grinning, Harry raises his gift. “Cheers.”

Malfoy rolls his eyes but there’s a grin on his face too.

Harry tears into his present and the wrapping paper vanishes before it hits the floor. Malfoy carefully plucks the tag from the picture at the same time, and lets it flutter to the ground.

Harry looks down at a clumsily made painting. It’s loads better than ones Teddy’s given him in previous years. He tilts it left, then right, before Malfoy leans over and turns it entirely upside and suddenly the whole picture comes together.

“Oh, Teddy,” Harry breathes, and his choked-up tone is hardly an exaggeration. “Is this us?” He traces a finger over the two figures in the sky flying on brown blobs that are clearly meant to be brooms. There’s a forest beneath them, as well as a lake that’s more purple than blue. “It’s brilliant, mate.”

Teddy beams, then rounds on Malfoy.

Malfoy grins at him over the top of the canvas. “It’s lovely,” he agrees, waving his own painting around. He turns and shows it to Harry, and it _is_ lovely. There’s a childlike wonder in both paintings, but the one for Malfoy has him and Teddy poised over a cauldron. They’re clearly meant to be mixing potions, although Harry doesn’t know what potion would cause a pink, frothy top like the one in the painting.

“Thanks, Teddy,” Harry says at the same moment Malfoy reaches out to drop a kiss to the top of Teddy’s head.

“Okay open the other ones!” Teddy shouts; not even a second chiding from Andie can quell his eagerness. He’s practically vibrating in his seat.

Harry’s gift from Andromeda is a pair of tickets to the upcoming Canons match as well as a gift certificate to the new broom shop in Diagon. He leans out of his chair to wrap Andie in a hug and tell her thanks. Then, all eyes are on Malfoy as he opens the last gift.

Malfoy freezes with his hands curled around what looks like an aged oak frame. His knuckles are nearly white until his grip relaxes and blood rushes to his fingers again. “Andromeda.”

Harry looks over to Andie in alarm to find her smiling wetly.

“I found it upstairs,” Andromeda says in a shaking tone. “I thought of giving it to Narcissa, but… it felt more appropriate for you to have it.”

Malfoy holds the frame a few moments longer before setting it down gently. He stands, and Andromeda rises from her seat in the same moment. She meets him halfway as he rushes to her in a hug; Harry takes the moment to snoop and looks over.

It’s a photograph. Old and creased but no less vibrant. It’s sepia-toned but Narcissa’s eyes sparkle in the frame. In her arms is a chubby, swaddled baby grinning wildly with hands outstretched and grabbing for Narcissa’s lengthy curls. Beside her is a younger Lucius; his hair is pulled back and his features are still sharp, but as his gaze drops to his son in his wife arms, something in his expression softens.

Harry swallows a gasp and sits properly in his seat just as Malfoy and Andie pull apart. There’s a moment of sniffling, then the presents are gathered into bags so they’re ready to take home later.

Andie waves off any help with cleaning and instead sets some spells to work on wiping down their plates. She also declines joining them outside, insisting she’d rather stay in and read a book, and “you two are perfectly capable of handling Teddy, aren’t you?”

So that’s how Harry finds himself outside and bumping shoulders with Draco Malfoy as they watch Teddy flit around the yard.

“It’s a nice broom,” Malfoy observes as Teddy rises a few feet before skillfully dropping back down. “He’s a natural.”

“Always has been,” Harry agrees. He knows Malfoy wasn’t around much when Teddy was a toddler, and only knew vaguely that sometimes he came by to spend time with Andromeda and Teddy. “You should’ve seen him on his first training broom. Nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Malfoy laughs. “Sounds familiar. I distinctly recall being a similar terror for my parents.” Malfoy watches Teddy zip around the yard. “You’re good with him.”

Surprised, Harry replies, “You too.”

Malfoy shrugs one shoulder. “I didn’t especially want to get to know him, or Andromeda.” He pauses to sigh. “It was my mother’s idea. Once father… was gone, mother thought it would be prudent to strengthen family ties. And Andromeda is really all she’s got left.”

Harry stares in shock at Malfoy, but the expression goes unnoticed as he keeps talking.

“I thought she wouldn’t want to see either of us, me especially. But I was wrong.” Peace settles over the tension in Malfoy’s shoulders and he faces Harry with a bright grin. “When she told me you’d be coming, I tried to leave, but of course she wouldn’t have it. I thought _you_ might try to leave once you saw me…”

“I did,” Harry admits.

Malfoy snickers. “Oh, I know. Voices carry in that little cottage. You didn’t try very hard, though.”

The back of Harry’s neck burns. “Suppose not.”

Malfoy hums thoughtfully. “Fancy a drink after this?”

Harry’s mouth drops open. “What?”

“We could buy each other a pint,” Malfoy continues. “As birthday gifts, of sorts.”

Harry slowly shuts his mouth with a click. “Yeah, alright.” The words feel molasses thick in his mouth but Malfoy only grins again.

They lapse into silence and continue to watch Teddy until Andie sticks her head out the backdoor and hollers for them to come in.

“Either of you boys need to use the floo?” She asks once Teddy has put away the broom and they’re all inside again.

Harry looks to Malfoy, who shakes his head.

“No, we’ll be apparating.” Malfoy steps up and gathers Andromeda in a hug. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “Owl me once you’re back, I can’t wait to hear about your trip.”

Andromeda nods. “Of course.” She sets her sights on Harry and he dutifully hugs her as well. He and Malfoy take their turns hugging Teddy and ruffling his hair before they leave.

Once outside Andie’s cottage, Harry faces Malfoy again. “Well?”

Malfoy holds his bag of gifts in his left hand and extends his right elbow to Harry. “I know just the place. Trust me?”

Harry curls his fingers around Malfoy’s arm. “Alright.”

Malfoy just smirks at him.


End file.
